Hyoei and Heibei's Tengu Hunt: A Weird, Wonderful Little Scrap of History

Is this for you?

If you have any interest in the history of animation—or just enjoy stuff that looks like it was cut out of paper and dragged across a light table—you should watch Hyoei and Heibei's Tengu Hunt today. It’s short, punchy, and moves with a rhythm you just don't see anymore. If you need hyper-realistic visuals or a plot that ties up every loose end with a bow, you’re going to be bored to tears. This isn't Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; it’s a craft project with a heartbeat.

The whole thing has this handmade, slightly jittery energy. Noburō Ōfuji knew exactly how to make shadows feel alive.

The Hunt

Watching Hyoei and Heibei creep through the woods is honestly hilarious. They look like they’re trying to act tough, but their movements are so jerky and exaggerated that you can’t take them seriously for a second. The tengu themselves? Little troublemakers. They pop in and out of the frame like they’re mocking the very idea of a narrative structure. It’s delightfully chaotic.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Hyoei and Heibei's Tengu Hunt (1934) through its definitive frames.

There is a moment where one of the tengu does this little hop that just stuck with me. It’s probably only two frames of film, but it’s got more personality than most modern CGI characters have in an entire movie. 👹

Odd Notes

• The background art feels like it’s breathing, even when nothing is happening.
• I spent way too long staring at the way the trees overlap. It’s messy, but in a good way.
• It reminded me a bit of the frantic pacing in City Butterfly, though they are obviously very different animals.
• The sound design—or lack thereof—actually helps. You fill in the crunches and rustles yourself.

Sometimes, the film just stops worrying about the "hunt" part and starts playing with silhouettes. I don’t mind. Why explain everything? It’s better when things stay a little mysterious. It’s the kind of thing you watch twice, just to catch the bits you missed because you were too busy laughing at the character designs.

It’s not a masterpiece, and it doesn't try to be. It’s just a cool little artifact. 🎞️